French striker Alexandre Lacazette has been confirmed as an Arsenal player
Alexandre Lacazette has become Arsenal's record signing after joining from Lyon in a deal which could be worth up to £53m.
The Frenchman was at Arsenal's training centre in Hertfordshire on Tuesday to have a medical before completing his record transfer from Lyon.
And on Wednesday afternoon the deal was completed, with Lacazette signing a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium.
Lacazette was in London on Tuesday to undergo his medical before completing £53m move
He will join up with his new team-mates for a pre-season tour to Australia and China next week.
A club statement on Wednesday evening read: 'Alexandre Lacazette has agreed to join us on a long-term contract, for an undisclosed fee.
'He is expected to travel with the tour party to Sydney this weekend and is likely to make his home debut in the Emirates Cup on July 29 or July 30.
'The deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.'
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: 'We are very happy to have Alexandre join our group. He has shown over a number of years that he can score goals and that he is a very efficient finisher.
'As well, he has very interesting technical qualities and a strong character. So he is a guy who is a great addition for us, and someone who will help us challenge at the top level this season.'
Lacazette poses with his new manager, Arsene Wenger, after moving to Arsenal
The striker has signed a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium after leaving Lyon
Lacazette's transfer will smash the Arsenal transfer record which stands at £42.5m for Mesut Ozil in 2013.
Lyon, his hometown club, will receive £46m with up to £7m more in add-ons depending on his success in north London.
His arrival could hasten the departure of his France team-mate Olivier Giroud who is wanted by Everton, West Ham and Marseille.
Arsenal's first-team squad were back for pre-season training on Tuesday with the exception of those on extended international duty during the summer.
Arsenal introduced their new signing via a five-second teaser video on Twitter
Since 2013, Lacazette has scored 20 goals or more in every season. In total, he scored scored 129 goals for Lyon, although nearly 19 per cent of those came from the penalty spot.
He contributed 37 goals and five assists during a prolific 2016/17 campaign with a shot conversion rate better than any other player in Europe who scored more than 20 goals.
He is the first Lyon player to score more than 25 goals in a season since Andre Guy in 1969.
That is a feat former Lyon heroes Karim Benzema and Sonny Anderson were never able to match.
Lacazette has been compared to Ian Wright by Gerard Houllier
'He is a bit like Ian Wright really,' Houllier, a close friend of Arsene Wenger and an advisor to Lyon, told talkSPORT. 'You don't seem to see him and then suddenly he moves.
'He will fit in their game. He will suit their passing game; the way they build up, their approach. He is very good near the box.'
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